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Painting and Plaster
        
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                                                WoodcraftingThe men and women who comprise the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) painting craft are master illusionists and AOC's teams of plasterers ensure the unique historic fabric of the buildings on Capitol Hill is preserved while the modern needs of Congress are served.

Turning wood into marble, metal into wood, one dimensional into three dimensional; these are all "tricks" of the trade for the painters of the AOC.

Decorative Painters at the Library of CongressIn use since the ancient Romans and even today on Capitol Hill, plaster is integral to the many buildings under our care. This use of plaster ranges from the most basic use such as drywall to more intricate uses such as the ornate U.S. House of Representatives Cannon House Office Building Caucus Room.

The Plaster Leader for the House Office Buildings day shift, Shirlon "Elvis" Maynard and his team are responsible for nearly every wall and ceiling in the House Office Buildings. This includes projects such as finishing drywall installed in renovated spaces, touch-ups during office moves and detailed ornamental plastering that is a unique and rare art.

According to Maynard, ornamental plastering is such a rare art that when a 1992 fire destroyed historic spaces within England's Windsor Castle, ornamental plasters had to be brought from around the world as part of the restoration efforts a few years later.

"Anyone can just throw mud on a wall. It is an art to do it. It is hard work and you don't learn it overnight. We need to create an apprenticeship program to help cultivate a next generation of plasterers to ensure we have the manpower to maintain this historic building."

- Shirlon "elvis" maynard, house office building plaster leader

A member of AOC's Library Buildings and Grounds Paint Division.
    A look inside the U.S. Capitol Paint Division.
    Robert Gannon smoothes out imperfections in a plaster cast.
          
    
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          Projects

  The AOC Never Paints Itself Into a Corner

An in-depth look at the most recent phase of the Capitol Building Paint Analysis and Plaster Repairs project.
    Behind the Scenes

  AOC Painters Use Wallpaper to Brighten Up the Basement

Architect of the Capitol (AOC) employees have completed a new mural installation in the Longworth House Office Building.
    History & Discoveries

  Restoring Freedom From Historic Separations

From the time all of its pieces arrived in America in 1859, the 15,000-pound plaster Statue of Freedom has relied on many skilled hands over many generations to preserve it. But before each restoration effort, the beautiful plaster figure had to be cut into pieces. Repeatedly.
    Behind the Scenes

  Before and After: Hearing Room Renovation for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

The Senate Office Buildings jurisdiction recently completed a project to restore the hearing room for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (SR-253) in the Russell Senate Office Building.

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